Moon's Bonus Points

Moon had never met anyone his age who loved studying as much as Hermione did.

He even felt that Hermione had read more books than all their other peers combined.

That was probably why Hermione had half a bar more Magical Strength than everyone else.

Moon felt his guess made some sense, so he now wanted to try increasing his Magical Strength through reading as well.

Although he was not a fast reader and had to ask others about some of the words in the books, Moon had an excellent memory. He never needed to ask about the same word twice.

Just like when he had first become a guard at Hazelnut Forest—he had memorized the routes through all one hundred acres after walking them once.

After asking Hermione about the meanings of seven words, Moon finally finished a chapter of History of Magic. Meanwhile, Hermione had already finished five chapters of Research on the Development of Modern Witchcraft.

Early the next morning, Moon handed Professor McGonagall's note to Bouncing and repeatedly reminded it not to take anyone's belongings.

As his best friend, Moon did not want Bouncing to stay in the dormitory all day, either. It should be free to play in the castle, on the lawns outside, or even by the Black Lake.

"Of course, you can't go to the Forbidden Forest. Percy said it's dangerous there."

"Chirp!"

After receiving Bouncing's affirmative reply, Moon left the dormitory with everyone else in peace.

"I think Bouncing is incredibly smart. It seems like it can understand everything you say," Harry said as he walked beside Moon, sounding a little envious.

"That's right, but I just hope it doesn't cause any trouble in the castle," Moon replied casually.

"I don't think that's it. Maybe you're the one who can understand Bouncing, Moon," Ron cut in. "By the way, have you ever communicated with any other Magical Creatures?"

"No."

Moon had never considered that he might have a talent for communicating with Magical Creatures. But he knew Ron was very knowledgeable about many things in the wizarding world, so there had to be some reason for him to say that.

Could I really have that ability?

As Moon let his imagination run wild, Ron's voice came from beside him again.

"If you want to test that ability, you'll have to wait until third year. That's when we take Care of Magical Creatures."

Ron went down a flight of stairs and continued, "George and Fred said the class is very safe, but you know them—they often mean the opposite of what they say."

The three chatted as they arrived at the Great Hall. Moon discovered that Hermione was actually reading even while she ate.

And the book in her hands was the same hefty volume from last night, Hogwarts: A School History.

Judging by the thickness of the pages she had turned, she had already finished two-thirds of the entire book. It had taken her only one day.

During Herbology that morning, Moon and the others were once again taken to yesterday's Greenhouse.

Only this time, instead of simply observing, they had to process daffodil roots themselves.

"Clean the leaves properly, Justin."

"Daffodils may be beautiful, but they still need to be cut, Miss Granger."

"Very good, Neville Longbottom, is it? But it would be even better if there were less soil left on the roots."

"Oh, absolutely perfect. The flower was cut neatly, the leaves were cleaned thoroughly, the stem was unharmed, and the roots were intact with almost no soil left. Once it dries, it can be used directly in potions."

Professor Sprout held up a processed daffodil for everyone around her to see.

"This is practically a textbook daffodil herb. I have no choice but to award Gryffindor five House points, Mr. Mu En Scarlett."

The other Young Wizards all looked over with envy. Everyone already knew that House points were extremely important, as they concerned the honor of their House.

But for a first-year student to receive a reward on only their second day of class still came as a surprise to them.

"Nicely done, Moon."

Harry lightly nudged Moon's shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

"That's right. You should be the first first-year student to earn points this school year."

As Ron spoke, he deliberately or inadvertently glanced in Hermione's direction, as though showing something off.

Moon was surprised too. He had never imagined that the experience he had gained working at York Farm could earn him points. It gave him the illusion that magic was not actually all that difficult.

But reality soon dealt Moon a blow and overturned that notion.

In the first Charms Class that afternoon, the small Professor Flitwick stood on a stack of textbooks and began explaining the relationship between charms and magic.

"To cast magic, you must master spells. When chanting a spell, you must pay attention to pitch, pauses, and intonation. Most importantly, you must focus completely on the spell."

Professor Flitwick took out his wand as he spoke.

"At the same time, we must pay attention to how we wield our wands—the angle and force involved. Avoid shaking, and ensure that your movements are smooth and at a moderate speed. For example, Lumos."

A brilliantly bright point of light appeared at the tip of Professor Flitwick's wand. The dim classroom suddenly became as bright as if sunlight were shining directly into it.

The Muggle-born Young Wizards all gasped in amazement, Hermione excepted.

Moon was astonished as well, but what interested him more was the Wizard Bar above Professor Flitwick's head.

With the combined support of the wand and spell, Professor Flitwick's Wizard Bar had increased from five sections to six.

It was the longest Wizard Bar Moon had seen so far.

Of course, that was only because Moon could not see Dumbledore's Wizard Bar and had not yet attended Potions Class.

Moon clearly remembered that during the welcoming feast, the stern-faced Potions Professor with greasy hair hanging loose had possessed the longest Wizard Bar.

After Professor Flitwick finished explaining, he had the students practice the simplest Lumos Charm.

Hermione succeeded on her very first try, winning another five points for Gryffindor.

Just after Professor Flitwick announced the points, Hermione turned to look at Moon behind her.

"Your technique, angle, and force are all very good, Mr. Scarlett, but you didn't pronounce the pitch of the spell correctly."

Moon had already done his best, but these tongue-twisting spells truly were difficult to pronounce.

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Longbottom. You can practice the incantation and wand movements separately."

"Oh, Harry Potter, I'm sure you can do it. You just need to practice a few more times, don't you?"

"Mr. Weasley, focus while you practice!"

Professor Flitwick was very meticulous, carefully commenting on every student's performance. Yet by the end of the lesson, only Hermione could keep the Lumos Charm going for ten minutes.

Moon had only managed to make his wand flash once, and after that, he could not make it light up again.

"I think you need to work on your pronunciation. Your spoken language is especially awkward—nothing like a local from the United Kingdom."

As they left the classroom, Hermione packed up her textbooks while advising Moon behind her.

"That's true. I'm from outside the United Kingdom."

"No wonder. There's actually a book in the library called Modern Magical Phonetics Table, the one by Jemima Browning. You should read it carefully."

Moon's expression stiffened. He was still not quite used to Hermione's preachy way of helping people.

"Uh... thanks."

"You're welcome."

Hermione lifted her proud little chin and walked out of the classroom. Only then did Ron and Harry come over.

"Don't mind her, Moon." Ron only spoke after watching Hermione leave. "I knew on the train that she was really unlikeable."

Moon exchanged an indifferent glance with Harry. Although he would not speak badly of someone behind their back, he had to admit that Ron's opinion made some sense.

But Moon was not focused on Hermione's tone. After being called a "Half-baked Spiritualist" in Xilin for more than four years, he had long grown used to it.

What he was curious about was how that little girl had managed to read so many books.

Modern Magical Phonetics Table.

That sounded like another hefty volume.

Hermione's spell pronunciation was so precise, and she even remembered the author's name. Could she have memorized that book too?

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